Horse-releaser.



A. F. ODIEN & 0. DAY'PIELD.

HORSE RELBASEB. AHLIOATION 211.121) umm, 1910.

Patented och-11,1910.

Q I IN a (E Mus-:1,

NORRIS PETERS cu, WASHINGTON, nv t.

TEE.

HORSE-RELEASER.

Application filed January 12, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AMBROSE F. ODIEN and CHARLES DAYFIELI), citizens ofthe United States, residing at Turner, in the county of Arenac State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHorse-Releasers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in horse releasers employed forinstantly detaching horses from vehicles in event of the horse becomingunruly or attempting to run away, and has for one of its objects toimprove the construction and increase the efiiciency and utility ofdevices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructeddevice of this character wherein the coupling means between the horseand the vehicle are retained in coupled relations against the action ofa spring by a trip device, and means provided for releasing the tripdevice and permitting the spring to act to release the coupling devices.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims; and, in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is afront elevation of a portion of a vehicle including the body and theforward axle with the improvement applied, Fig. 2 is a sectional view onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the forward axleillustrating the construction more fully, Fig. 4: is asectional view,enlarged, on the line tt of Fig. 1.

The improved device may be applied without material structural changesto vehicles of various forms and constructions, but for the purpose ofillustration is shown applied to a conventional vehicle including a body10, a forward axle 11, a fifth-wheel mechanism 12, a lower springbolster 13, an upper spring bolster 14 and a spring 15.

Connected to the axle near its ends at the points where the thill clipsare usually attached are novel forms of clip devices whereby the thillsare coupled to the axle, but as these clip devices are precisely alike,the de- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

Serial No. 537,662.

scription of one will sufiice for both. Each clip device comprises abase bar 16 coupled to the axle 11 by the usual U-bolt device 17 andwith the forward portion formed with a socket comprising spaced upperand lower members 18-19. Fitting in each of these sockets is a couplingmember 20 having perforated ears 21 at the outer ends to receive theshackle members 22 of the thills 23. Each of the shackle members ispivotally united to one of the coupling members by a pin 2 1. Themembers 1819 of the clip device are provided with vertical aperturesregistering with a similar aperture through the coupling member 20 toreceive a coupling pin 25, as shown. By this means the thills arecoupled to the axle and detachable therefrom by removing the pins 25, aswill be obvious. Means are provided in the improved device for detachingthe pins 25 when the horse is to be released, and this novel mechanismwill now be described.

Connected to the axle 11 are spaced clip devices including bearingmembers 26, and mounted for rotation through these guide members is arod 27 having a crank or offset band 28 centrally thereof and outturnedat the ends as shown at 29. Each of the out-turned ends bears upon theupper face of the portion 18 of the thill clip device, and is pivoted atits outer ends respectively at 31 to the pins 25. By this arrangement itwill be obvious that when the rod 27 is oscillated the pins 25 will bewithdrawn from the coupling members 20 and release the thills and thehorse connected thereto.

A spring 37 is connected to the crank 28 and operates to maintain ityieldably in position to maintain the pins 25 withdrawn from thecoupling members, and a trip mechanism is provided for holding the rodwith the outturned terminals 29 in downward position with the pinsengaged with the coupling members 20, and this trip device comprises arod 31 swingingly coupled at 32 to the crank 28 formed in the rod 27,and curving rearwardly and extending through the spring 15 and upwardlythrough the floor of the body 10 and terminating at 34 in a foot restlocated above the floor of the body 10 and in convenient position forthe foot of the driver. The rod 31 is also formed with a lateral bend 35near its lower pivoted end. and the axle 11 is provided with a suitableplate 36 with which the bend 35 engages when the rod is in its downwardposition, as showii; The oflset or bend and the stop plate 36 are solocated that when the offset is engaged with the stop plate the crank'28 will be maintained in its downward position and against the resist--ance of the pull spring 37 connected between the axle 11 and the crank28. The pull spring 37 exerts its force to elevate the crank 28 andoscillate the rod 27, while the rod 31 operates to maintain the crank inits downward position and thus maintain the pins 25 in locked relationsto the coupling members of the thill.

Vhile the horse is acting normally the rod 31 remains in its rearwardposition and maintains the pins 25 in their locked relations to thecoupling members, but in event of the horse becoming unruly orattempting to run away the driver can instantly release the horse bysimply pressing his foot against the rest 34 thus releasing the ofiset35 from the stop plate 36 and permitting the pull spring 37 to oscillatethe rod 27 and elevate the pins 2-5 and release the thills and the horseattached thereto.

The improved device issimple in construction, can be applied withoutmaterial structural changes to vehicles of various forms and sizes andto axles of various forms, and operates efiectually for the purposesdescribed.

lVhat is claimed is 1. The combination with a vehicle including the bodyand the forward axle, of thill coupling devices connected to said axle,a rod mounted for oscillation upon said axle and provided with anoffset, coupling means between said rod and said thill coupling devices,another rod swinging at one end to said offset and extending into thevehicle body, said rod having a lateral bend intermediate the endsthereof, and a stop carried by the axle and engaging said lateral bend.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of a pair of thill couplings eachincluding a thill retaining member movable into and out of activeposition, mechanism connected with each thill retaining member formoving the latter into and out of active position, a spring connectedwith said mechanism and disposed to hold the latter with the thillretaining members normally and yieldably in inactive positions, afoot-operated bar connected with said mechanism for moving and holdingthe latter with the thill retaining members in active positions, saidbar extending into the body of the vehicle and provided with an angularbend forming a catch member, and a keeper disposed to cooperate with thecatch member to hold the bar with the thill retaining members in activepositions and into and out of engagement with which keeper the catchmember of the bar is movable.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures, in presence of twowitnesses.

AMBROSE F. ODIEU. CHARLES DAYFIELD.

Vitnesses R. J. Srorronn, D. A. FOLEY.

